Intertesting brooch and a ncie touch - great to also hear that Kate received a necklace of similiar design for her wedding. Both jewels, Camilla's brooch and Kate's necklace i presume will be worn at events relating to Australia at home and in Australia just like the Queens does with her wattle brooch

Whichever clown took this photo, clearly thought it "best" to use flash photography!

And to photograph it lying on its side I'm thinking! Wearing it vertically would place the pearl at the top and the Southern Cross stars the right way up. A considerably more effective look than how it's been presented in this dodgy pic. :-]

"The Australian Monarchist League (AML) has proceeded to commission the manufacture of a brooch (consisting of an Australian pearl nestled into a eucalyptus shaped leaf in white gold with the Southern Cross set in Australian gemstones) to be presented to HRH The Duchess of Cornwall by the League to commemorate both her 65th birthday (last July) and her first visit to Australia in just over three week's time." Here is a broadcast in which the Australian Monarchist League shows the Brooch: http://tenbreakfast.com.au/video.htm?movideo_m=242201

It is a very beautiful piece. And it's indeed more than just a straight pearl necklace; each individual pearl appears to nest in some sort of a silver cup.
There might also be a pearl pendant of sorts (look at the upper right part of the attached picture).

Cropped from a larger image and constitutes less than 20% of the original.

They are baroque (uneven shape) which gives them an undulating line along the string, I think. :-)

Yes, you are probably right. These can happen naturally, when an oyster nucleates nacre (the stuff of which pearls are built) around an oddly shaped bit rather than a uniform grain of sand. There are some huge, beautiful examples of older natural baroque pearls. Starting in the middle ages, artists like Cellini would incorporate them into small scale cast gold works.

But now - when pearls are seeded and cultured, often the shape used for nucleation determines that double headed shape you see on the Duchess's necklace. That shape baroque pearl is call RINGED, for obvious reasons.

I like baroque pearls because of their unique shape and own some pieces, but don't think I care for this necklace. I find that because the pearls are so large and unevenly shaped, they're strung a bit awkwardly and look bulky in this arrangement.

__________________A book should be either a bandit or a rebel or a man in the crowd..... D.H. Lawrence